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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25599859">The Third Date Rule</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellahotchner/pseuds/hellahotchner'>hellahotchner</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Criminal Minds (US TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cute Ending, Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, First Kiss, Happy Spencer Reid, Tooth-Rotting Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:15:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,087</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25599859</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellahotchner/pseuds/hellahotchner</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Spencer discovers what the third date rule means while on his third date with you.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Spencer Reid/Original Female Character(s), Spencer Reid/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>244</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Third Date Rule</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>not set at any particular time, but i imagined s9 reid just bc that’s the season i’m on</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Spencer leads you out of the restaurant with a hand on the small of your back, and you can’t help but blush as happy butterflies fill your stomach. This is only your third date with Spencer, and every touch and smile is still so exciting and thrilling. You felt like it was never going to go away, you’d never get used to it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You’d met Spencer two months ago, at the library. You’d been sitting at a table doing homework—you were pursuing your master’s degree—and you were completely stumped on a math problem. Spencer had swooped in and solved the problem for you, you’d gotten to talking, and… One thing led to another. He was so cute and sweet and funny, you were elated when he’d (shyly) asked if you wanted to get coffee. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Over the next two dates, the first being coffee and the second being an art museum, you two had clicked so much that it was scary. It felt like you’d known him for years instead of just two weeks, and every time the date ended, you found yourself counting down the minutes until you spoke again. You two called or FaceTimed each other almost every night in between dates, especially if he went on a case, and you talked for </span>
  <em>
    <span>hours. </span>
  </em>
  <span>About everything. It was amazing how quickly he made you feel safe, how quickly you’d grown attached to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But now it’s the end of the third date, you’ve both just had the best French food you’ve ever eaten, and he </span>
  <em>
    <span>still</span>
  </em>
  <span> hasn’t kissed you. You’re beginning to feel a little discouraged, really. You’d been okay with not kissing on the first date—it wasn’t hard to deduce that Spencer wasn’t all too comfortable with physical contact with people he didn’t know well—but surely between three dates and countless phone calls, he should be comfortable enough now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hasn’t even held your hand. On the first date, the most touch you got was a gentle touch of your hand a couple of times. On the second date, he’d offered you his arm to hold onto as you perused the exhibits, and he’d quickly hugged you goodbye at the end of the night. And tonight, he’s touched your hand a few times and, of course, put his hand briefly on your back. But nothing more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spencer, ever the gentleman, opens the car door for you to get in. You thank him quietly as you sit in the passenger seat and, as he joins you in the car, you remain fairly quiet. Almost half the drive back to your apartment is quiet, before Spencer speaks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is everything okay?” He asks quietly, giving you a quick concerned glance. “You got really quiet all of a sudden. Did you not have a good time?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You shake your head, “No, I had a great time! I always have fun with you, Spence.” He smiles over at you, but tilts his head curiously as if to ask, once again, what’s wrong. “I guess I’m just worried that </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>didn’t have a good time. Or that maybe you don’t want to continue seeing me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Spencer asks, sounding genuinely surprised. “Of course I want to keep seeing you, Y/N. What gave you the impression that I didn’t?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You shrug a little bit, suddenly embarrassed. Maybe it wasn’t that weird that he hasn’t kissed you yet. Maybe you’re just being a huge bitch and disrespecting his boundaries. It takes a lot to trust somebody, especially when your job is to catch serial killers like Spencer’s is. Sure, it may be the third date, but he’s known you for just two months. It’s perfectly reasonable that he wants to get to know you better first. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spencer frowns at your silence, reaching over to put his hand over yours. His hands are soft, and really warm. You want to link your fingers with his, but you hold back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just noticed that… It’s our third date, but you haven’t kissed me yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” You look over to see Spencer blushing, and it’s so cute that you can’t help but smile. “It’s not that I don’t want to, I promise. I’m just… I don’t go on a lot of dates, and I don’t really ever get past the first date. So I asked my friend Morgan about social protocols when it comes to dating, because I really like you and I didn’t want to mess it up. And he, um, he told me about the third date rule? That you aren’t supposed to be too affectionate until the third date to avoid making the girl uncomfortable, so… I was going to kiss you tonight, if you’d said yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At first, you don’t know how to respond. Part of you wants to coo over how sweet he is for worrying so much about making sure you were comfortable and that he was being respectful. Another part of you is completely taken aback by Spencer mentioning the third date rule. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s the latter that wins, and you find yourself giggling uncontrollably. Spencer seems a little embarrassed, blushing and ducking his head as he pulls into your apartment’s parking lot, but you can’t stop laughing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” you choke out, turning your hand over in his so you can actually hold his hand. He puts the car in park but refuses to look over at you, so you tug on his hand until he does. “No, Spence, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh at you. You’re very sweet for being so respectful, seriously. I’m just laughing because… I think Morgan either lied to you, or you misunderstood him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That gets Spencer’s attention. He looks over at you curiously, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He’s so freaking </span>
  <em>
    <span>cute. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“How do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The third date rule isn’t about kissing. Normally, if the first date went as well as ours did, you’d kiss after the first date. The third date rule is…” You trail off a little, trying to stifle even more soft laughter. “The third date rule refers to sex.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spencer’s cheeks go bright red, setting you off into another fit of laughter. “Oh! I— I didn’t know that, I’m… I’m sorry if I made you feel like I wasn’t that into you, because I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I really like you. And I’m sorry if now I’ve made you feel uncomfortable, or like I was expecting sex or anything, I really thought the third date rule was just about kissing, I—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Relax, Spence,” you smile, reaching out your free hand to cup his cheek. He leans into your touch, smiling a little bit in return. “You don’t have to apologize for anything. And I really like you, too, by the way.” You pat his cheek and then pull back, opening the car door. “Come on, why don’t you walk me up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He holds your hand as you walk up the stairs to your apartment, and it’s making your tummy </span>
  <em>
    <span>erupt</span>
  </em>
  <span> with butterflies. Now that he’s allowing himself to be affectionate, knowing that you’re comfortable with it and that he’s allowed to, it’s so much better. Your love language is physical touch, and you know that now that you’ve gotten a taste, you’ll never get enough. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The both of you stop outside of your door, but instead of digging for your keys, you just stand in front of it and face him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I had a really great time tonight, Spence,” you murmur, reaching to hold his other hand too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So did I. And you look gorgeous tonight, by the way,” he smiles, squeezing both of your hands and stepping just the slightest bit closer. You glance down at your hands, and also at your dress—he’d been complimenting you all night. “I actually had something that I wanted to ask you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He licks his lips a little, swinging your hands between your bodies almost subconsciously. He’s nervous, you can tell, and you wonder why he’s so nervous. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I was wondering if you’d like to go on another date,” he starts, and you nod instantly. He smiles at you a little but then averts his eyes once more. “Um, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>also</span>
  </em>
  <span> wanted to know if… If it would be okay if… Look, I really like you, and I really want to keep seeing you. But not just on dates once a week, I want to… What I’m trying to say is—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You decide to put him out of his mercy. You drop his hands in favor of looping your arms around his shoulders, stepping so close that your chests are touching. Spencer seems thrown off, stuttering even more than he was, but he lets his hands fall to your hips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” you murmur, brushing your nose gently against his. “I would love to be your girlfriend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His smile is </span>
  <em>
    <span>blinding, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and before you know it, he’s closing the distance and pressing his lips to yours. The kiss is gentle and soft, but still eager, and you press as close to him as you can. Despite his inexperience, he’s an amazing kisser. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You kiss him for a few minutes that go by </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> too quickly, until he starts to pull away. You chase his lips, getting in two, three, four, five, </span>
  <em>
    <span>six</span>
  </em>
  <span> more kisses before he finally gets you two separated. He laughs as you pout up at him, giving you one more soft kiss to placate you. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish I did that sooner,” he grins, moving his hands down to hold yours again. “I could kiss you all day, I think.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You smile, “Sounds like a great fourth date. I’m free tomorrow, if you are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As long as I don’t get called on a case, I’m here,” he promises. He leans in again, presses another kiss to your lips. “I’ll call you when I get home, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please do. I sleep better when I get to hear your voice right before.” It was pretty common for you to fall asleep while on FaceTime with him, ever since you’d taught him how to use it. It was a good substitute for cuddling, for the time being. You couldn’t wait until you got to the point in your relationship where he could cuddle you to sleep, even if it’s just for a nap on the couch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re cute when you fall asleep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait until you see it in person,” you tease. “I’m a cuddler. You’ll wake up with me wrapped around you like an octopus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You weren’t sure it was possible, but Spencer’s face gets even softer. Like it just melted into fondness for you. “I’m a cuddler, too,” he admits, and you feel your heart flutter. </span>
  <em>
    <span>God, you couldn’t wait. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Actually… Why wait?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to come inside?” You ask him quietly. “It’s okay if you don’t, but… Who said the third date rule of sleeping together had to mean sex? We could just, you know, </span>
  <em>
    <span>sleep. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Together. If you wanted. Then we could really spend all day kissing tomorrow. I’ll even make you breakfast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, if there’s breakfast,” he teases. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So it’s the french toast that convinced you?” You ask, turning around to unlock your door and let the both of you in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spencer hums, pulling you right back into his arms as soon as your apartment door is closed and locked behind you. “The cuddling sounds pretty good, too, I guess,” he sighs, and you just roll your eyes. “And waking up next to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re an easy man to please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shrugs, “When it comes to you, just being around you makes me happy.” This time, it’s you that’s melting, and you lean in to give him yet another kiss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His kisses are addicting. You really could spend all day doing it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on,” you murmur, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards your bedroom. “Now I’m excited for cuddles. You better not have been lying about liking to spend time with me, because you’re stuck with me for at least the next 24 hours.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Unless work calls. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like the best 24 hours of my life,” he tells you, and he sounds so </span>
  <em>
    <span>genuine</span>
  </em>
  <span> and so </span>
  <em>
    <span>happy</span>
  </em>
  <span> that you have to take a moment to thank the universe for bringing him to you. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mine too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>”At the first kiss I felt something melt inside me that hurt in an exquisite way. All my longings, all my dreams and sweet anguish, All the secrets that slept deep within me came awake, Everything was transformed and enchanted, everything made sense.” –Hermann Hesse</span>
  </em>
</p>
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